Nelson weeks



(NuModel.) y 2 Sneessheet 1.

f N.' WEEKS.

CLUSTER FIXTURE -POR ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

'.No. 6o1,1o'8. 'y f Patented Marin-1898.

` ATTORNEYS.

(11o-M0881.) 2 sheets-sheet 2,

11.888118. 1 CLUSTER FIXTURE FORWELECTRIG INGNDESQENT LAMPS. l, No.801,108. f Patented M81; 22, 1898.I

/NVENTOH UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON WEEKS, or NEw- YORK, N, Y.

oLusTER-.flx'ruRl-:rr-on ELECTRIC |NennDESCENT LAMPS.4

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent o. 601,108, dated March 22,1898.'

l; Application filed Gotcha-1,1897. Serial No. 653,735. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.: B e it known that I, NELSON WEEKS, of New`York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new andImproved Cluster-Fixture for Lamps, of whichI the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to fixtures for in- A candeseent electric lamps,the said ixtures being of the kind in which a number of lamps arearranged as a cluster. In fixtures for this purpose as ordinarily madeit is necessary in placing the fixture to splice the lampLwires to thehouse-wires and to run the lamp-wires through atubewhichl is necessarilyof con'- siderable length, because the cup employed to cover the splicemust be moved down the pipe in order to enable a person to ymake thesplice.

Ono object et my improvement is to provide affixture thatlmay be applieddirectly to a ceiling, wall, or other support and in whichthe usualshort extended ends of the housewiring may be attached .directly to thelamp-contacts.

Another object is to provide a fixture that will present a compactand-neat appearance and'which will be comparatively inexpensiveA tomanufacture.

I'will describe a cluster-fixture for lamps vand then` point out-thenovel features in the appended claims.'

' Reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawin gs, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of vreference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is -a sectionon the linc 1 1 of liig.

2 oi a ixture embodying my invention. Fig.

2 is a partly sectional plan view of the base' of the fixture on theli'ne 2 2 in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. l, but showingamodification; and Fig. 4. is a section showing another modification.

l Referring first to the example of my improvemcnt shown in Figs. land.y 2, 1 designates a base of lctile material-such, for instance, asporcelain-designed to be attached to a ceiling or other support in anydesired manner. l have here shown 'it as provided with openings for lthepassage of screws 2;

Removably attached to the base l is a cap 23 also of iictile material.This .cap may. be scoured to the base by means of av screw 4,

depending from the base, and a thumb-nut 5, engaging with said screw atthe outer side of the cap. If desired, a shade or reflector 5 may haveits inner edge secured between the base and the cap, asindicated inFig. 1. The

base 1 carries a number'of contact-points,

and the cap 3 is provided with a pluralityof openings through which thebase portions of lamps may be inserted and engaged with the contacts.

This particular fixture is designed for use with lamps of the'l`l1omsonI-Iouston type. The base l has a-contracted dependingcentralportion 6 and a still further contracted depending portion 7. Extendedinward in the base is a. contact-plate 8 for each lamp,

through the cap 3, is a contact-plate 16', haying a projection 16",designed to engage with the ring-terminal 1T of the lamp. lhe severalcontact-plates lli are electrically connected by means o fa ring 1S,seated in'a channel or groove, formed in the inner surface of thecap.,"When Athe cap 3 sin place, tho'contact-finger 14 will engage upononeof these contact plates 16, as indicated lin Fig. l..

The center contacts ofthe lamps, which in this class of lamp are in theferm of interiorlythreaded thimblcs, will engage with screw-plugs lf),connected with screws 20, the several screws 20 being electrical] yconnected by-means of a ri'ng.21,'surrounding a portion of the base. Oneof the screws 20 is in con lnectionl with a contact-plate 22, vwhich hasa fusible-plug connection 23 with a plate 24, with which the house ormain 1ine-wre'25 connects.` In the operation of this example of myimprovement the lanrpswill be screwed onto the screw-plugs 19 and theterminal 17 will be placed in ei'xgagement with the part 1U, and ofcourse when lthe circuit is closed by any desired means the current willflow through the lamps.

In'the nzodilication shown 4in Fig. 2i I. eulploy a 'base and capsimilar to the ones first 'loo the base] is a eoiitactfringe 2c, adaptedto engage with thircenter contact of the lamps, a'nd also' in'euuteil onthis hase is a contactring 27, designed ier engagement with the outercontact et' the lainp. 'llie ring 26 has a screw connection 2S with aplate 29, which connects with the house or line wire through a.safety-fuse S30. The ring 27 connects through a screw 31 with a wire 32,havngits opposite end connected to a screw 33, to the lower end ofwhich. a safctyfuse 34 is connected, the other end of said safety-fusebeing connected with a house or line wire in the saine manner.

In Fig. 4 l have shown the device as arranged in connection with abracket or siinilar support that niay be extended from a wall or from astrect-pi'ist and. in which a cut-out is provided. The fixture shown inFig. 1.1. is similar to that shown in'Fig. l. It is, however, locatedwithin-a shade or reflector 35, supported on a tubular bracket 36,through which the lineaiires extend. 'lhe line-wircs which extendthrough the bracket 36 are ecirnected with the switch 37, et' ordinaryconstruction, and arranged within the shade or reflector i, and ofcourse the lainp-teiiiiiiials are connected with this switch or cut-out.The stern 258 of the switch-or cut-out extends down through the hase 1and also through the cap 3 and may serve as a ineans for holding theparts together. In Fig. 4, however, instead of arranging; thecontact-plate 16 as indicated in Fig. l l have attached it directly totlic screw lb', as indicated at 39, and of course the several parte willbe electrically connected.

A fixture embodying inyinventien, itis ohlvioiis, may he easily attachedto a ceiling,

wall, or other support and the safety or fusible plugs may be readilyreached, when (lesii-ed, for renewing,` thein.

individuel socket for each laiup, cach generally inounted'on an arin.This is not only objectionable by reason of the diillculty in wiring,but there is a constant vibration, cspecially when the lamps are used intraveling vehicles. I provide, practically, a connected series ofsockets, or', more properly, a, multiple socket in which there can be novibration'.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Iatent f l. An incandescent-lamp fixture, comprising a basehaving a contracted central portion anda still further contractedcentral portion, contact-supports extended through each of thecontracted portions, and a cap having a plurality of openings for theinsertion of lampbases to engage with the contacts, substantially asspecified.

2. An incandescent-lamp fixture, coniprising c. hase, two sets ofelectric contacts se cured thereto, a cap on the base and having aplurality of openings to receive lam p-bases, contact-plates on thowalls of the openings, each having projections to engagetheringterminals of lamps, and a ring electrically.

connecting the several plates, substantially as specified.

3. An incai'idcscent-lamp fixture, comprising a hase, a series ofelectrically-connected screw-plugs carried by the base, connectionsbetween said screw-plugs and the leading-in wires, a cap on the hase andhaving a plurality of openings te receive lamp-bases, coni tact-plateson the walls of the openings and lia-vine,r projections lo engage thering-termi-l nals of.' the lamps, the said projections engaging withcertain of the contact-s on the base, and means for electricallyconnecting said contact-plates, substantially as specified.

NELSON WEEKS.

Witnesses:

JNO. M. Ri'irun, C. It. 1 `Eii `iusoiv-

